A former veterinary assistant is soaring to new heights after a dramatic career shift in her 30s, trading animal care for the cockpit and now inspiring more women to take to the skies.
Naomi Hepworth, 35, was born in England and raised across Australia, Scotland and the United States. Her childhood was marked by frequent flights as her family moved around the globe. While she always loved flying, she never dreamed it would become her profession.
Working in hospitality and as a veterinary assistant, Hepworth spent much of her 20s feeling “lost”. That changed in 2021 when, at age 31, she took a leap of faith. “I tried vet school, I tried being a chef and nothing kind of clicked, it just didn’t feel right,” she said. “And then all of a sudden I was like, I’m going to take a trial introductory flight.”
She had watched her brother study for his private pilot’s licence and was fascinated. “When he was studying it, I was always kind of interested,” she said. “And then I took my first introductory flight, after just kind of being lost throughout my 20s.”
The experience was eye-opening. “I was instantly hooked. It was the best thing I’ve ever done,” Hepworth said. “And I haven’t really regretted it since.”
After completing training and gaining her pilot’s licence, she faced the challenge of finding work. Australia’s aviation industry has major shortages of experienced pilots and instructors, but the entry-level market is saturated. Many pilots relocate for their first jobs. “Just like a doctor would go to a hospital and implement whatever she or he has learned from medical school, out of flight school ... the hardest time for a pilot is getting their first flying job,” Hepworth said. “Your job might be taxiing people in the Top End, or a lot of first-time pilots will go to Broome or Lake Eyre just to try to get their first job.”
After months of persistence, Hepworth landed a job as a flight instructor at Aero Hunter Flight Training in the NSW Upper Hunter. Now she teaches future pilots while working towards her Airline Transport Pilot Licence, needed to fly for major airlines.
She admits changing careers in her 30s was not easy. “In the beginning I was like, ‘Oh, I wish I was 20, I wish I was 25. I wish I found flying when I was 18’, you know?” she said. “But then that kind of just fades away and you just accept that you’re the age that you are, and you can’t really do much about it.”
Her advice for others considering a career change: don’t see age as a barrier. “I think all your past experiences do come in use. It’s not like you start fresh and everything you’ve experienced in your life leading up to this moment has no use,” Hepworth said. “Everything from your life is all part of the journey, it found you at the right time, you know, maybe you didn’t start it 10 years ago because you weren’t ready for it then. Flying found me when it did because I was ready for it.”
Only 7 per cent of pilots in Australia are women, and globally just 4 per cent, according to an Aviation Aerospace Australia report. Hepworth has seen slight improvement in the gender divide at flight school but wants more women to pursue flying careers. “It would be great to just to get more women in aviation,” she said. “We are statistically better pilots, believe it or not! We have better cognitive judgment skills, we’re more cautious and we take less risks.”
A former female student of Hepworth’s is now finishing an aircraft engineering apprenticeship and aims to become a commercial pilot, an accomplishment her teacher is proud of. “She’s just dedicated to progressing in her career and improving herself. It’s just great to see,” she said.
Hepworth will continue to support future pilots and promote aviation careers to women as she works towards her own goals. “(Flying) is the best thing I’ve ever done,” she said.
